Iran’s top leader accuses protesters of killing thousands of people. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the top leader of Iran, accused protesters of inflicting thousands of deaths on Saturday and called US President Donald Trump a “criminal” for backing protesters in Iran. In a speech aired on state television, Khamenei stated that “several thousand” people had died as a result of the protests. This was the first indication from an Iranian leader of the magnitude of the deaths caused by the wave of protests that started on December 28 and resulted in a brutal crackdown.
Khamenei, who has the last word on all matters of state, stated, “The US president made remarks in person, encouraged seditious people to go ahead and said: ‘We do support you, we do support you militarily,'” in reference to this uprising. He restated the claim that the US wants to control Iran’s political and economic resources.Because of the deaths and losses caused by the accusations made against the Iranian people, we do view the US president as a criminal,” he declared. He said that the demonstrators had demolished mosques and educational facilities and referred to them as “foot soldiers” of the United States. “Through hurting people, they killed several thousand of them,” he stated. Trump responded by demanding that Khamenei’s nearly 40-year rule end.
“The man is a sick man who should run his country properly and stop killing people,” In an interview on Saturday, Trump told Politico. “His country is the worst place to live anywhere in the world because of poor leadership.”It’s time for Iran to find new leaders,” he continued.
Trump had come across as accommodative
The back-and-forth rhetoric followed Trump’s conciliatory statement that “Iran cancelled the hanging of over 800 people,” along with the statement that “I greatly respect the fact that they cancelled.” He did not specify who he communicated with in Iran to find out if any executions were scheduled. His remarks suggested that he might be reconsidering a military action.
Tehran Prosecutor Gen. Ali Salehi reportedly said, “Trump always makes futile and irrelevant statements,” in reference to Trump’s comments over the annulment of 800 protestors’ death sentences, according to the official IRNA news agency. We have a strict, proactive, and quick mindset. He didn’t go into detail. In recent days, Trump had told protesting Iranians that ” help is on the way ” and that his administration would “act accordingly” if the killing of demonstrators continued or if Iranian authorities executed detained protesters. Without mentioning any specific nations, Khamenei claimed in his speech that rioters were armed with live ammunition that was brought from overseas.
“We don’t make plans or lead the nation into conflict. However, we do not release domestic offenders; there are international offenders who are worse than domestic offenders. He urged authorities to investigate the cases, saying, “We do not let them alone either.”
An unsettling serenity
Following severe suppression of protests over Iran’s failing economy that started on December 28, the country has reverted to an uncomfortable calm. According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, the repression has killed at least 3,308 people, more than any prior demonstration or disturbance in Iran in decades and reminiscent of the carnage preceding the 1979 revolution.
Throughout the years of protests, the organization has maintained accuracy by using a network of Iranian activists to verify all claimed deaths. The AP has not been able to verify the toll on its own. Iranian officials have frequently charged that Israel and the United States are inciting instability in their nation. In a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian accused Israel and the United States of interfering with the protests.
Short-term restoration of reports of restricted internet access In Tehran, where street activity and shopping have resumed as usual, there have been no indications of protests for days, and Iranian official media have not reported any fresh disturbances. On January 8, all internet connection was restricted by authorities during the protests. Witnesses reported that text messaging and very restricted internet services briefly resumed operations in several areas of Iran on Saturday. While consumers could access local websites via a domestic internet service, cellphone text messaging started to function overnight. Some also mentioned that using a virtual private network, or VPN, gave them restricted access to global internet services.
It was not immediately apparent how much access was available or what was behind it. Given that the outage has impacted companies, especially banks in the country, trying to process transactions, it’s probable that officials were activating some systems in preparation for the start of the Iranian working week. Internet traffic tracking service Cloudflare and an advocacy group for internet access Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency also reported restricted internet access on Saturday morning, but NetBlocks reported very small increases in connectivity. It did not provide an explanation. Following the exiled Iranian royal’s appeal for more protests, no new protests have been recorded. By Saturday afternoon, it seemed like Iran’s exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi’s demand for demonstrators to return to the streets from Saturday to Monday had gone unanswered.
Pahlavi, whose father was deposed by Iran’s Islamic Revolution in 1979, is backed by ardent monarchists abroad but has had difficulty expanding his appeal in Iran. That hasn’t stopped him from positioning himself as Iran’s interim leader in the event that the government collapses, though.
